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The Simplest and Best Shrimp Dish

12|17|10

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 30 minutes

Excuse the superlatives; this spin on a Spanish tapa is my favorite, and everyone I serve it to loves it. The shrimp juices infuse the oil, and the sum is beyond delicious. It’s good with bread, over rice, tossed with pasta, or stuffed into tacos.

About 11/2 pounds shrimp, 20 to 30 per pound, peeled, rinsed, and dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

11/2 teaspoons hot paprika

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1. Warm the olive oil in a large, broad ovenproof skillet or heatproof baking pan over low heat. There should be enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan; don’t skimp. Add the garlic and cook until it turns golden, a few minutes.

2. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp, some salt and pepper, the cumin, and the paprika. Stir to blend and continue to cook, shaking the pan once or twice and turning the shrimp once or twice, until they are pink all over and the mixture is bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately.

5 Comments

This sounds good but I can’t imagine how the cooking time in step 2 could be right. I could see cooking 20/30 shrimp for 5 minutes, but after 10 minutes on medium-high, wouldn’t they would be totally overcooked?

Love this recipe. Even my 8-year-old loves it. Haven’t found "hot paprika" yet though so I throw in a little cayenne. @ Danny: I find 8 minutes is perfect for cooking the shrimp. With 1 1/2 lbs in the pan it takes a smidge longer than 5 minutes.

I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I’ve been making it for years and it’s one of the only recipes that I follow to the letter. It’s perfect as written! I usually serve it over rice with a side of steamed green beans or roasted broccoli. Even though it’s super quick and easy, it always impresses! Thanks, Mark.